Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Thursday, April 30, 2009

A crunchy crispy oven fried chicken that starts with a buttermilk, lemon and mustard marinade and is finished with a cornflake, Parmesan herb crusting.

Crispy Oven Fried Buttermilk Chicken

Crispy fried chicken really can be had in the oven y'all, and this recipe was inspired by an oven baked chicken recipe I saw in the May 2009 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I love using bone-in chicken breasts because the bone really does help to produce a very flavorful piece of chicken, much more than those boneless, skinless chicken breasts. There is no surprise that bone-in is very popular in Weight Watchers recipes.

I tell ya, there really are all kinds of flavors goin' on in this recipe. I loved the buttermilk marinade with mustard, lemon and garlic for starters and of course we southerners know that buttermilk makes for an extremely tender and delicious chicken breast. Top that with a super crunchy, cornflake coating that incorporates those same tones but tops 'em off with a little southern kick!

Don't have fresh lemon juice on hand? Well, here's a tip to make sure that you always do in the future, so when you make a run to pick up lemons, grab a few extra so you'll have some in the freezer the next time you need them!

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a medium sized glass bowl. Place the chicken breasts in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Allow to marinade at least 6 hours. Turn the chicken occasionally if possible.

When ready to cook, line a large, shallow baking pan {a jelly roll pan works well} with aluminum foil and place an oven safe rack on top of that. Spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray. If the chicken breasts are on the larger side, you will want to spread them out over 2 trays, and alternate the trays halfway through the cooking time.

Combine the coating ingredients together and mix well with a fork. One piece at a time, remove the chicken breast and allow the marinade to drip off; then dredge each in the coating mixture, turning to coat both sides. Set on the rack and repeat with each piece of chicken. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon of the melted butter over each chicken breast. Place into the hot oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes; turn and/or switch baking sheet(s) if using more than one. Bake an additional 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and reaches 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer.

Cook's Notes: The lemon flavor comes through fairly subtle from the marinade, but feel free to decrease it if you prefer. Can substitute boneless chicken breasts also, but adjust down your time since those cook a lot faster. Don't overcook! Can also use drumsticks or boneless, skinless thighs and cook for about 45 minutes, longer for bone-in thighs, until juices run clear when pierced.

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13 comments:

What a great tip for tomato paste and lemons! I passed by a bag of lemons for a great deal this week because I thought "I'll never be able to use all of those before they shrivel up." Next time, I'll do this!

The bone-in does make a diff. I remember that from when I fall off the vegetarian wagon and go after a piece of chicken...for dumplings, stew, filipino adobo, etc. the chicken with bones is the way to go! And usually cheap, too!!!

I bet you're right about the bone-in chicken breast. I've always find that buttermilk really enhances the flavor. I just love buttermilk biscuits. I'll have to try this.And if you don't mind, I think I'll share this recipe with my readers and Facebook friends. Thanks so much!

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